Michigan State Basketball: Report card for home-opening win over Binghamton

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans passes the ball against the Yarden Willis #44 of the Binghamton Bearcats in the second half at Breslin Center on November 10, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans passes the ball against the Yarden Willis #44 of the Binghamton Bearcats in the second half at Breslin Center on November 10, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 05: Gabe Brown #44 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 05, 2019 in New York City.Duke Blue Devils defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 68-66. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 05: Gabe Brown #44 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 05, 2019 in New York City.Duke Blue Devils defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 68-66. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Bench

What we didn’t see against Kentucky was the Spartans’ deep bench making a difference. We witnessed just that on Sunday night against Binghamton. Eleven guys came off the bench and each one had a positive impact. Sure, a few were walk-ons who will never see the floor in important games, but each scholarship player flashed potential. This team may be 10-11 deep regularly.

Gabe Brown: B

Gabe Brown came off the bench and played 13 minutes. He looked solid, but didn’t exactly stuff the stat sheet Aaron Henry-style. He scored seven points and made 3-of-4 shots. Moreover, he didn’t attempt a 3-pointer, showing that he’s expanded his game.

Kyle Ahrens: B+

Consistency is Kyle Ahrens’ middle name and as long as he continues to strengthen that ankle, he’s going to get even better. He’s a leader off the bench and scored four points with four rebounds. He didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally, going just 2-for-5, but he was active defensively and provided a spark.

Malik Hall: B-

We didn’t see much from Malik Hall again in this one, but give him time and he’s going to be a fan favorite. He played 13 minutes, didn’t score and had three rebounds with two assists.

Marcus Bingham Jr.: A-

I continue to be impressed with Marcus Bingham Jr. The sophomore big man is expanding his game, no longer relying on the deep ball. He scored a career-high 13 points with six rebounds and he was 5-for-9 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range. He showed improvement on the defensive end, blocking three shots. We are seeing what this kid can do — finally.

Foster Loyer: B-

Outside of some nifty passes, Foster Loyer had a pedestrian performance. He played solid defense and even drew a big charge, but he’s going to need to pick it up on the offensive end if Michigan State wants to make a run. He was 0-for-3 from the field and had two assists, including a beautiful alley-oop to Julius Marble.

Julius Marble: B

We didn’t see much of Julius Marble who played just six minutes off the bench. He did, however, wow the crowd with an impressive alley-oop and a nice back-down and score in the post. If he can bring this to every game, he’ll be a surprise contributor with 5-10 minutes per game.

Next. 3 takeaways from MSU's win over Binghamton. dark

Conner George: B+

Though he didn’t see the court for long (just four minute), Conner George looked great. He was aggressive, grabbed four rebounds and scored three points. He won’t see a ton of action this season, but he’s one of the better walk-ons Tom Izzo has had.